With iOS and Android competing against each other in the tablet market, it’s hard to ignore that Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 sports a rather tablet-friendly UI with its Metro UI design, and without doubt Microsoft does have plans to eventually launch Windows 8 tablets, but who will be heralding the launch of said devices? Given Nokia’s commitment to Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform, and the fact that the company has yet to put out a tablet of its own, the Finnish company does seem like the most likely manufacturer for the job, and at a recent Nokia earning’s call, CEO Stephen Elop may have very well hinted at such a device.
“The broader digital experience is coming into focus,” he said. “If you look at the overall Microsoft strategy, you see the consistency of user experience… across PCs, tablets and phones. And for the operators, I suspect they see an opportunity to participate in a larger play when a consumer walks through their doors.”
While it is by no means a confirmation, or anything close, like what Peter Pachal at Mashable said, it would be an odd sight to see AT&T attempting to up-sell their customers on a PC as opposed to a smartphone or tablet. Let’s not forget that it was November of 2011 that Paul Amsellem, general manager of the French division of Nokia, let slip that the company would have a Windows 8 tablet ready in June this year.
Could such a device be unveiled at MWC 2012? After all it has been three years since Nokia was seen at MWC, and with the Nokia Lumia 900 announced at CES 2012, we have to wonder what else does the Finnish company has in store for us then. In the mean time we will refrain from reading too much into this and rumors of such a device should be taken with a grain of salt for now.